Chapter 447 Tortus Travel Journal 51 Child Holy Mother, Pricelessss

「……」

「Ummm~, Shizuku-chan?」

*Clang clink* Sounds of tableware were playing. Kaori’s timid voice resounded among them. Her eyebrows were forming a splendid bridge that expressed her troubled feeling.

Ahead of her gaze was a sullen Shizuku. She seemed to be in a bad mood. She was preparing sandwich ingredients silently with a face that seemed unable to accept the situation.

At her side was Shia who was neatly arranging cheese and ham on a cracker. She also opened her mouth with similar expression like Kaori.

「Now now, Shizuku-san. There’s no need to feel displeased just because Yaegashi family is ninja family. Wasn’t that fact already like an open secret even before this?」

「……」

Yue who was boiling water while preparing tea (she wasn’t allowed to get involved with the snack preparation) tilted her head.

「……Do you hate ninja that much? I thought it was popular at earth and not just among Japanese people.」

「…………It’s not like, I hate it or anything. It’s just like Shia said, I had half accepted it already.」

「……Nn~? Then, why are you looking that dissatisfied?」

「Because they keep playing dumb about it even now!!」

That’s right.

Even after Hajime refused the wonderful offer to become ninja master, Shuuzou and the others still continued to insist.

「You will also get the secret art’s scroll if you accept it now.」

「Don’t treat your family secret as admission bonus.」

「Rather you will also get Shizuku with the position! I’ll allow it as her father-」

「Don’t treat especially your daughter as special perk.」

「The whole clan will obey you chief!」

「Don’t call me chief sneakily like that. Or rather, that is why I don’t want it.」

「Don’t you think it’s unfair that it’s only Hauria? 」

「Can you please stop treating it like a competition, Shuuzou-san? I already got my hands full with just that Hauria.」

「Come on, don’t say that. You should just accept things when they are given to you.」

「Even if you try to push a shinobi group to me like it’s just a tissue pack that is distributed for free on the street like that……」

They persistently continued to persuade Hajime like that but……

They sighed the moment they realized that Hajime had no intention at all to accept the position of ninja master.

And then, 「Hey! As I thought Ojii-chan and everyone else are really ninja! You three finally admitted it!」 Shizuku pressed them like that but, the three glanced at her and exchanged glance with each other. From that they seemed to share some kind of an understanding and said this next.

Their faces turned serious as though the passion that they showed just now was just an illusion.

「Of course we were just joking around, Shizuku.」

「We felt shy to thank Hajime-kun once more you see. That was why Otou-san and the others made that joke to cover up our embarrassment.」

「There’s no way ninja still exist in the modern day Japan right? Geez, really this girl, you took it too seriously. You’re just too earnest.」

They said such barefaced lies shamelessly.

It seemed that everyone of Yaegashi family had no intention of admitting anything about their hidden face unless the other party had the resolve (?) to completely enter “that side”.

They were being a bad loser, or perhaps not knowing when to give up. Or maybe there was some kind of rule that was making them acting like this.

In any case, their action caused the blood vein on Shizuku’s forehead to pulse angrily.

Her look became like a yakuza who was in the middle of a gang war. And she even let out a villainous voice 「AAaa!?」 that she never made before. But surely it was understandable for her to be like that.

There was also how this happened right after everyone watched the past where she cleared up the murky feelings in her heart, and yet now she was made to hold an overwhelmingly murky feeling in her heart because of her family. It looked like Shizuku was going to draw out her black katana, so currently she was getting separated from Shuuzou and the others.

And so right now Hajime, Shuuzou, Koichi, and Kirino were going to watch Kouki’s trial just like they planned at the beginning. Tio was the one going with them to cast the past replay magic.

Meanwhile the others were currently taking a break at Vandre’s residence. Yue and Kaori were also in this resting group because they had been casting regeneration magic to replay the past all the time until now, even if they had been taking turn for that.

The people who were visiting this place for the first time, especially Tomoichi who was an architect were very moved seeing the ice palace and garden. They all were walking around on their own to sightsee while Yue and the others were preparing snack and tea for this breaktime.

「What if Shizuku-chan just declare it then? Tell them, “I’ll be the Ninja Master!“.」

If Shizuku disliked getting lied to then she could just become a ninja too couldn’t she? Kaori lined up the plates for the sandwich while making that suggestion. Shizuku looked conflicted about that suggestion.

Shia gave the last touch in order to make the stylish bite-sized snack looked even more delicious while tilting her head.

「Thinking carefully……Shizuku-san is the only daughter isn’t it? Won’t there be a problem with the succession of Yaegashi-style if you marry into Nagumo family? It’s a family with long history right?」

「We have a lot of relatives so there won’t be any problem with the Yaegashi-style itself. In the first place, there is also no rule that the instructor must be a blood relative.」

In fact, there were also disciples who came from outside who took position as assistant instructor. The school was based on some sort of meritocracy. It was a family with long history but, bloodline wasn’t absolute for deciding the leader when it came to the school.

「……B-besides……in the future, I need to pass down Yaegashi-style too when we have children.」

「「「Hohou?」」」

The cheeks of the displeased looking Shizuku suddenly turned red like boiled octopus. Her eyes looked slightly unfocused. Perhaps she was imagining something in her mind. Yue and others were automatically smirking too. However,

「Of course, I don’t plan to force them you know? But, if, it’s just an if case okay? If they take a liking to Yaegashi-style──」

「W-wait a second Shizuku-chan──」

「If they say that they want to train seriously, I’ll ask Ojii-chan and my parents to train them with the intend of making them the heir. T-they are Hajime and my children after all! I believe that they’ll surely have the talent!」

「I-I-I-I get it! I get it already!」

「……Let’s stop with the imagination the──WATCH OUUUTTT!!」

「YUE-SAAAAAAANN!?」

「Shizuku-chan! We get it already so don’t swing around your katan while getting embarrassed like that! Use kitchen knife for cutting vegetablesss」

At the middle Shizuku-chan started writhing from her own imagination and closed her eyes while fidgeting in embarrassment. The problem was that one of her hands was holding the unsheathed black katana.

For some reason she tossed the ingredients that would be put between the bread to the air and then chopped them up with the black katana. The ingredients were accurately falling on the bread even though her eyes were closed.

But, even though she was cutting the ingredients in subconscious level, it seemed that her consideration didn’t reach until anything other than the ingredients that also entered her range.

The tip of Yue’s ahoge that coincidentally popped out today got sliced off cleanly. If Yue didn’t quickly crouched down, perhaps her head skin would get damaged just like when Hajime shot there in the past. Though this time the skin would be thinly sliced rather than be gouged.

Half of Yue’s head peeked out from the edge of the table while tears were gathering in her eyes. Her trembling hand was patting her head. At the corner of her sight, thinly sliced hams fluttered down and landed on the breads. Her face whitened.

「……I-I’m glad I’m short.」

She even spoke of something that usually she wouldn’t want to say. Although she was immortal, she didn’t even want to imagine her head’s skin getting sliced. It was a mystery why Yue’s head skin kept meeting danger like this……

Shia caught the black katana’s blade between her palms, while Kaori used that opening to slapped Shizuku’s cheek to return her to her senses.

「Ah, I-I’m sorry! I unconsciously fell into delusion like Kaori-」

「Say, Shizuku-chan. Do you really need to mention me there?」

There was no ifs or buts about it, Kaori-san was a master of delusion who could go off to imagination land spontaneously. Shizuku knew that well.

Shizuku quietly averted her gaze. Kaori stared at her with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes, but a moment later she let out a chuckle. It was a laughing voice that was seeped with happiness in it.

「Kaori?」

「Fufu, sorry. I’m not laughing at you. If it’s Shizuku-chan in the past then you wouldn’t say that kind of wish or dream out loud so……perhaps it’s because we had just seen that trial? Somehow I’m feeling strangely happy.」

Shizuku looked bewildered by the terribly kind voice that Kaori suddenly let out. Yue and Shia were also looking at Kaori with a puzzled expression.

Kaori put on a smile that was filled with affection like a saint who was talked about around the world.

「Watching Shizuku-chan’s trial made my heart felt like it would get frozen solid. Shizuku-chan really wouldn’t be here right now if there was even just one thing that went wrong there.」

「That’s……but, I already overcame it you know?」

「Yes. That’s why it’s pointless to say anything about it at this point but……as I thought, there’s a feeling of regret in me.」

「? What are you regretting Kaori? Is it about how you weren’t able to come running to help me?」

Kaori shook her head. She suddenly took Shizuku’s hand.

「I think Shizuku-chan too has realized it now. That I realized Shizuku-chan’s feeling in the middle of our journey.」

「……That’s true. Yes, thinking back now, you were watching over me. You even gave me a push on the back.」

Sometimes Kaori would be staring at her with a very gentle gaze. Now she could remember how Kaori was telling her that it was okay for her to be more honest, that it was okay for her to be more selfish.

She also noticed how Kaori made that decision since the time she started following Hajime with her eyes unconsciously.

「……Nn. Well, I had been suspicious from the start but, it was easy to see after clearing the great tree.」

「Right desu. It was really transparent but, Shizuku-san herself wasn’t aware of it, or perhaps you were desperately trying to treat it like it was “nothing”……」

「Uu, even Yue and Shia……was I really that easy to understand?」

「「「Extremely so.」」」

「Uu……」

Shizuku’s face turned bright red from the beautifully synchronized replies.

Kaori’s expression radiated even more affection seeing Shizuku like that and she spoke.

「You see, I tried telling you in roundabout way that it’s fine, that harboring that feeling isn’t a bad thing at all. But, I didn’t put it into words clearly. Because Shizuku-chan kept suppressing your own feeling, that I wanted you to notice it on your own, that you had to accept yourself on your own……」

「I was, really like that……」

「Yep. But, as someone who knew just how awkward Shizuku-chan was, I should tell you all those things more clearly. I should put it into words and told you that you aren’t wrong, before Shizuku-chan yourself recognize your own feeling……maybe.」

That was Kaori’s regret that welled up inside her after seeing how far Shizuku was cornered.

Though it was really already too late. Her expression became as though she had bitten something bitter when thinking that things might had gone over the point of no return in the past and she continued.

「I’m really glad that you were safe. I’m so glad……that you can speak of your own feeling like this now. I’m sorry that I was unable to be more considerate of you in the past.」

「……Geez, Kaori you dummy.」

Kaori along with the other girls admired Shizuku’s cute part when they were watching her past trial. But actually she was feeling both regret and joy at the same time while watching. After knowing that, Shizuku’s expression changed as though she had her mouth stuffed full with honey.

Yue and Shia warmly watched over the two of them without making fun of them. Yue’s ahoge also regenerated energetically.

Somehow without even looking Shia’s hand pushed the ahoge down *mugyuu*, but the ahoge would immediately stood tall as though to say 「This is nothing at all!」 if her hand stopped holding it down. Even though usually there wasn’t any ahoge on Yue’s head, it just kept standing up no matter what today. Was it perhaps because they were in a trip? Or perhaps, it was related to the height of Yue’s tension.

「……Well, in any case」

Golden light flashed out. Shia and the others turned their gaze to there in curiosity. Right after that, Yue appeared in her adult version.

Mature sex appeal and queenly majesty were overflowing from her.

And yet her cheeks were slightly red from embarrassment and she was averting her gaze, so even those of the same gender, and even Shia and others who were used to see this version were unconsciously blushing and holding their breath from that loveliness.

Yue who transformed into adult mode suddenly cleared her throat, then she slowly placed her hands on Kaori and Shizuku’s head.

「……You two, you have done your best.」

「「Nnu」」

Kaori and Shizuku let out another strange voice. The softly smiling Yue had gone passed looking like a queen and looked straight like a goddess. It was a complete surprise attack. They couldn’t even think of a good reply to say.

They felt itchy, embarrassed, but even so they also felt unbelievably happy……

Anyway they couldn’t help but writhing.

「Muu~, not fair desu! Yue-san, what about meee?」

「……For Shia, I already did it when you cleared a great dungeon for the first time right?」

「I never experienced it with adult version!」

「……Or rather in Shia’s case, you cleared the trial more overwhelmingly than me. It wasn’t something that feel like you had done your best──」

「Who cares about the detail desu! Just pat me dammit! Desuu?」

「……Geez. What a hopeless rabbit.」

*Pat pat*, fuheee~~?

Shia buried her face into the valley of Yue’s abundant chest and transformed into jelly there. She was completely tamed.

Kaori and Shizuku looked at each other while their faces were still bright red. They exchanged an understanding with just their gazes.

((As expected, the adult mode Yue is just unfairrr!!))

It was unknown whether Yue knew about what was going on in their hearts, but she chuckled and spoke to Shizuku consolingly.

「……Okaa-sama and others will return soon, so Shizuku too should stop being sullen already.」

「I-I guess. Ojii-chan and others might also come back in dejection again after seeing Kouki’s trial……」

「……Perhaps, they intentionally acted obnoxiously like that because they didn’t want Shizuku to come watching the hero’s trial together──」

「No way.」

「……Nnn. ……Certainly, I also think that’s not the case.」

Perhaps, in a one in a million chance, Shuuzou and the others had actually noticed Kouki’s fixation toward Shizuku, and so in consideration for Shizuku’s feeling and also so that she wouldn’t notice that they were treating her considerately like that, they intentionally angered her so she would go separately……

Yue tried to interpret the Yaegashi family’s action in a good way like that, but she could do nothing except swallow her words back in front of Shizuku’s unhesitating denial.

*Shun* Yue returned to her original girl mode with a faint light. 「Aaa, my breasts-」 Shia’s sad muttering could be heard along with it.

When Yue transformed into her adult mode, Shia would always became like a little sister who acted spoiled to her big sister. It was gradually becoming normal for her to dive into the valley of Yue’s breasts without hesitation. At that time Hajime would often send her a glance that seemed to want to say 「That’s my spot though?」, but he always hesitated to put it into words.

Getting back into the topic.

They finished preparing the snack too around that time and arranged the plates at he living room. Around that time they heard some approaching voices that sounded excited. It seemed Shuu, Sumire, and the others were coming back.

As soon as the door was opened, Tomoichi entered and said his impression with eyes sparkling like a kid.

「Ahaha, this place is really amazing! This place being an ice palace is already amazing in itself, and yet the builder also didn’t compromise at all with every single detail! This building itself is no different than a piece of art!」

「Geez dear, how about you calm down for a bit?」

Kaoruko tried to calm him down, but Tomoichi’s heart as an architect seemed to sing from seeing Vandre’s last dwelling. He showed no sign of calming down at all.

Certainly, even this living room had its walls engraved with engravings that were beautiful but not to an excessive degree that would disturb their sight. Even the furniture looked artistic when they were observed closely. This place was like a trade fair of antique items.

「This ice wall itself is also mysterious. It’s cool to touch, but it’s not painful even if you keep touching it.」

「It’s like a cooling mat. It’s not melting down at all but it also doesn’t radiate chilliness.」

Sumire and Shuu were also looking excited from the fantastic structure.

「Vandre-san really was an artist wasn’t he? But……」

For some reason Akiko-san was looking doubtful. Aiko’s expression was also conflicted. 「……What’s wrong?」 Yue asked with a tilt of her head. Then Aiko took out something from her personal “treasure warehouse”.

「Actually, Myuu-chan discovered a hidden room……」

「……A hidden room?」

「Yes. It seemed there was an engraving on the wall with blocks that could be slid around like a puzzle game. Myuu-chan noticed it for some reason, and then for some reason again she quickly rearranged the engraving into a different pattern.」

「……A-a hidden room appeared because of that?」

「Yes……」

They couldn’t find any word to say. They couldn’t make sense of it except as a “profound mystery” or perhaps “inevitability that was like a coincidence”, anyway they could only accept it as the supernatural phenomenon loving that little girl like usual.

「Eh? Come to think of it, I don’t see that Myuu-chan and also Remia-san, and Lily-san too anywhere?」

「Ah, yes. The three of them went to the garden at the middle.」

「Should I go call them? Myuu-chan will fall asleep like she run out of battery if she doesn’t get her sleep time.」

「You’re right. Or rather, I think everyone already had their fill with the garden when we first arrived here but……was there something there that she wanted to see more?」

Perhaps, she found another thing again there? Yue and others looked at each other. They immediately decided to go there to call them for taking a break as well as checking the situation, but before that they saw the thing that Aiko held out toward them and stopped moving.

「……Aiko. What is that garish pink muffler? It even has countless heart patterns on it……」

「Aiko-san……I’m all ears for consultation if your fashion sense is wandering off course you know?」

「Y-you’re wrong! This is for Yue-san──」

「……Thank you. Just your feeling is enough.」

「The polite refusal hurts-. Wait, that’s not it! We found this in the hidden room!! This isn’t my personal thing at all! It’s also not my hobby!」

Ah, so that’s how it is…… No wait, what does that mean!? Yue, Shia, Kaori, and Shizuku’s eyes widened in astonishment.

Of course they would. It was something located at the goal post of this great dungeon, furthermore it was inside a hidden room. A muffler with pink color & heart marks filling every inch of its surface. Why?

「It was amazing, in a sense. Vandre-san really loved muffler huh.」

「This has already gone past liking something. I can feel insanity from it.」

Shuu shivered with an expression as though he had “seen something that shouldn’t be seen”, while beside him Sumire took out her smartphone. It seemed that she had taken recording.

She played the video and showed it to Yue and others.

「「「「Uwaa」」」」

Yue and others let out cringing voices. It was only natural.

After all, what was displayed there was completely an exhibition venue.

.

Long vertical showcases that must be specially made from ice were lining up the walls in every direction. All of them had mufflers of every color and various design hanging on them. Even the center of the room had transparent cases lining up like it was a jewelry shop displaying its merchandises. Neatly folded mufflers were lined up tidily.

「This hidden room even had a storage under the floor.」

Akiko-san said with a wry smile. Kaoruko also muttered 「As expected, artists always have a unique sensitivity aren’t they」 while saying,

「Even just the mufflers that are put on display already numbered fifty. We didn’t check all of the storages under the floor but, if all of them are filled with the same number of muffler……perhaps there are thousands of them.」

「「「「What’s with that madness」」」」

The expression of Yue, Shia, Kaori, and Shizuku were twitching. In the past they weren’t searching every nook and cranny of this mansion because they were resting, or accompanying Suzu to the sea of trees to pick some monsters.

To think that such mad collection was sleeping right beside them……

Shizuku stared at the pink muffler with excessive heart patterns while asking hesitantly.

「Errr, Ai-chan-sensei. You said that muffler is for Yue……did you stea──take it from that room?」

「……You took this, for me? Aiko……do you hate me?」

「I didn’t steal it and I’m also not harassing you! Look, please watch the video!」

They watched. Then, they saw shining letters that were the same like what they saw in Raisen Great Dungeon forming at the ceiling.

──You did well for solving that artistically difficult puzzle and found my treasure warehouse. As a reward, I shall present to you the muffler that you like. Also, you have no right to refuse.

There was no right to refuse even though it was a reward. That was just……

「……I wonder why. The memory from far before we got summoned, when Kaori presented a handknitted sweater to Hajime as Christmas present flashed in my mind.」

「Heavy-. Wasn’t that too heavy desu!? Because, that was at the time when she still wasn’t aware that she liked him right!?」

「……As expected from Kaori. A terrifying woman. I can imagine Hajime’s twitching expression.」

「Eh, eh!? I certainly gave that but, it was normal wasn’t it!?」

「Wait a second Kaori. That wasn’t something you especially made for Otou-san!? Didn’t you say that it didn’t turn out well, so you gave me a sweater that you bought from a shop in the end!?」

「Otou-san, that was a lie. Sorry!」

Tomoichi-san was shocked and became unsteady on his feet, but Kaori too didn’t have any presence of mind to care about that right now. Even though I gave that present with good intention, even though I followed Okaa-san’s advice and knitted him a sweater! That thought filled her mind.

Kaoruko-san was looking puzzled. Her expression clearly said 「Eh? That’s a normal thing to do isn’t it?」. No wonder, the apple really didn’t fall far from the tree.

「Aa, that sweater huh. That Hajime, he told us that it was something he bought himself, but it was actually a present from Kaori-chan huh.」

「No wonder that boy always trembled a little every time he wore it. It looked heavy to wear but, it actually wasn’t a physical weight but a mental weight eh……」

「Otou-san (Father-in-law)!? Okaa-san (Mother-in-law)!? Tell me that it’s not trueee!!」

It was clear now. Vandre was definitely a muffler lover. At the same time, seeing at his exhibition room, there was no doubt that he was also keeping them with great care.

But, from that room they could somehow feel some kind of intention like……Vandre himself was thinly aware that his friends would be troubled if he presented them with too many mufflers, and yet he also just couldn’t throw the mufflers away, so he decided to share it with other people, even strangers by making up some kind of excuse for it……and surely that was really the case. Surely Vandre-san also had someone for himself that could accept his slightly heavy love, no doubt about it.

「Well, that was why, after that a mechanism that didn’t allow you to get out of the hidden room unless each person take a muffler got activated……」

「……He went that far? As expected from a liberator. Miledy’s friend. His head is a bit screwed up……」

Putting aside Shia’s scathing evaluation, at that time Aiko decided that she might as well brought out some mufflers for Yue and the others too.

「……But, even so this design is……」

Yue accepted the muffler even while making a conflicted expression. She was glancing at Sumire’s video as though wanting to say 「Wasn’t there other muffler with slightly better design?」.

Aiko told her with a troubled expression.

「It was Myuu who chose the mufflers for everyone.」

「I think this design is the best.」

Yue-san beautifully changed her words like turning over the palm of her hand.

「By the way, the reason she chose this one was apparently……”Because Yue-oneechan feels somewhat like this when she is together with papa” she said.」

「I think, I need to have a talk with Myuu.」

It was a bit too shocking that Myuu thought of her as “a pink colored Onee-chan with excessive heart marks”. A conversation with her was urgently needed in order to correct her perception of her.

「Myuu-chan’s view is always correct isn’t it!」

「……Be quiet, Bakaori.」

Kaori happily made fun of Yue. But then Aiko awkwardly handed her scarf to her. The folded muffler was pure white. It looked pretty in a glance.

「Geez, that Myuu-chan, her image of me is pure white──」

Kaori energetically unfolded the muffler for everyone to see. Drawn on the muffler was the figure of a mad warrior with an evil look and a sword on his shoulder like the picture of a samurai that was drawn on a hanging scroll. My prey will not get away. Absolutely nottt!! Such madness was conveyed splendidly from the masterpiece.

「……I think the design is the best, pupuh」

「Looks like Myuu-chan and I need to have a talk with each other properly.」

Yue-san happily made fun of Kaori. Her finger was poking on Kaori’s twitching cheek.

「Ai-chan-sensei! What about the rest!? What kind of images are chosen for everyone else!?」

「……I’m sorry. Everyone else get stylish design that can be used normally in daily life.」

「Whhyyyy」

「……Impossible……what about Tio!? At the very least Tio must have gotten one too!」

「Myuu chose an elegant design of fluttering flower petals for her.」

「「Whhyyyy!?」」

Yue and Kaori were assaulted by a mysterious feeling of defeat and fell on their knees.

This was just a supposition but, Myuu must have been influenced by the recent happening. The Tio that she watched in the past replay, regardless of everything the side that Tio showed the most strongly since entering this cavern of ice and snow was her Super Tio side.

Compared to that, Yue and Kaori kept getting into cat fight and the like with each other. Shia even needed to stop the two of them physically.

In other words, well……

「You two are reaping what you have sown I guess?」

Sumire-okaasan’s words that she said with a wry smile caused Yue and Kaori to powerlessly dropped their shoulders in dejection. But, they immediately raised their face and looked at each other.

「……Kaori.」

「Yes. Let’s ask Myuu-chan to choose another one!」

They nodded to each other and dashed away.

Sumire and the others also looked at each other and shrugged in exasperation before chasing after the two.

.

.

.

.

.

And,

「Amazing amaziiiing! So pretty nanoo~~!!」

「「「「「Eh?」」」」」

That Myuu was riding on the back of an ice dragon that was giving her a sightseeing flight. Everyone who saw that scene had their jaws dropped wide open.

The ice dragon was flying leisurely. It flew low to graze the abundant flowing water and caused water pillars to rise up. Then the moment the water scattered in the air, it froze the droplets into diamond dusts that were shining beautifully. Right now the garden was changing into a glittery fantastical world at every corner of it.

「I-isn’t that the ride for taking shortcut to the ground?」

「Y-yes. That should be the case……」

「Why is it out in the open? And on top of that it’s following Myuu-chan’s instruction to fly around.」

「……This again, Myuu?」

Yue and others got a faraway look. Sumire and Shuu and the others were looking confused. Kaori explained to them about the ice dragon’s true identity. Meanwhile Yue and others were approaching Remia and Liliana. The two were watching over Myuu who was enjoying the sightseeing flight and the ice dragon with worried look.

It was at that timing.

「What’s that……」

「Is the one riding it, Myuu-chan?」

「She sounded like she’s having fun so it’s not a dangerous situation but……is this okay?」

Hajime and others appeared at the palace’s entrance using “gate”. The members of Yaegashi family who were originally looking downhearted immediately opened their eyes wide in astonishment.

「Oi oi, what’s going on……I guess there’s no need to ask.」

「Uumu, I too couldst somehow understand what’s going on. Myuu attracted another friend again right? I thought that the ice dragon was nothing more than a shortcut mechanism but……does it actually hath its own will?」

Hajime and Tio got a distant look that seemed somewhat resigned.

Their guess must be right. Remia and Liliana were nodding nonstop.

「We were taking a stroll at the garden but……」

「We found a lot of writing under the bridge about Vandre-san and Oscar-san hurling insults at each other. It was right after that.」

「What’s that? I’m also curious about that!」

Sumire-san’s curiosity reacted. Not only those two liberators traded insult until they died, but they even left behind their insults to each other even after they died. Her material sensor as a mangaka seemed to react to the knowledge that their thuggish exchange of insult to each other hadn’t been erased. Prey detected! Her sense was telling her that.

「Let’s take a look to that later……and?」

Hajime urged Remia and Liliana to continue, so the two continued with a troubled look.

「Myuu suddenly started looking around restlessly, then after that she suddenly said “There’s a voice nano!” and she ran until the center of the garden.」

「After that, that ice dragon rose up from the ground, and before we could say anything……」

「Before you two could say anything?」

「「For some reason they started talking normally……」」

Of course, the ice dragon didn’t start talking with human language. It was only Myuu who was talking, but the ice dragon was also calm and it brought its nose tip close to Myuu and rubbed it on her while looking like it was asking for something. Myuu apparently interpreted that gesture like it was normal.

「Hm, well, it’s no different than usual.」

「Getting used to thing like this art scary.」

For now, Hajime put his hands around his mouth and raised his voice 「Oo~iii, Myuu~! Come ba~~ckk」.

「Ah, papaa!!」

Myuu’s expression brightened in a flash and she slapped the ice dragon’s neck several times. The ice dragon nodded as though it understood what she wanted and gently circled around while going down in front of the palace. It was clearly moving with consideration to Myuu.

「Come to think of it, when we mentioned about how the treatment here is far different from Miledy-san and the others, that ice dragon felt like it was saying something like “Naturally! Don’t group me together with those guys!”.」

「That means, does it has its own will just as we thought?」

Shia and Kaori were falling into thought. Meanwhile the ice dragon very elegantly flapped its wings and landed. It was a perfect landing that kept the vibration and the impact to the very minimum. The way it used its neck like a playground slide for Myuu to go down from it was filled with nothing but tenderness.

「Thank you nano, Kuu-chan!」

「So it already has name.」

「Its name is Ururukuu but, there are already U-chan and Ru-chan, so Myuu called it as Kuu-chan nano!」

「So that dragon introduced itself.」

「Uu~nn……somehow, that was the feeling that Myuu got!」

Apparently it was based on her feeling. Looking at the dragon, the so called Ururukuu also didn’t seem dissatisfied.

Myuu begged at Hajime with a wide smile while showing her sparkling eyes and flushed cheeks.

「Papa! What if Myuu keep this child at our house, is that o~kay?」

「Return it back to where you found it.」

「!!?」

An instant reply. Myuu’s eyes widened in complete disbelief. Even if they looked through all the pasts and the futures, there would no other little kid that Myuu who would pick a dragon of another world (Furthermore it was a special one among the specials. It was also suspect whether it was a living thing or not) and asked whether they could keep it or not,

Myuu’s eyes became a bit teary, but she was still going to keep begging, however Ururukuu stopped her. It rubbed the tip of its nose on her.

「Eh? You can’t go because you have your duty? You will be here forever nano?」

Ururukuu’s eyes that were like glass ball that was made from ice stared fixedly on Myuu. It also didn’t make any voice, so the others really couldn’t read its emotion at the slightest.

「You are something like a golem? Isn’t it lonely nano?」

「……」

「……Is that so. You don’t want to leave from here……yes, yes. This place is important to you isn’t it?」

「……」

「Your original wish……uu, sorry, Kuu-chan. Myuu was selfish nano.」

「……」

「Ehehe, Myuu’s the one who should thank you nano.」

Everyone was speechless. Hajime and others silently watched over the warm……perhaps, guessing from Myuu’s words the conversation between the girl and the dragon seemed warm. Though their gazes looked a bit faraway.

There, Ururukuu seemed to tell Myuu to hold out her hands. Myuu held out her hands, and then a drop of water trickled down from Ururukuu’s eye to fall on her hands.

「What is this? Yep yep……I see! If Myuu have this, Myuu can call Kuu-chan when entering the snow field! Amazing nano! Thank you nano!」

「Somehow, my daughter casually got something convenient that even dungeon clearer like us doesn’t have.」

「……It’s because it’s Myuu. We can only accept it like that.」

「I-I’m sorry for my daughter……」

To repeat, this was just like usual. Myuu attracting a mysterious creature (?) and they became her friend was normal for her.

「Aa~, umm, I mean, thanks for that present for Myuu. Also correct me if I’m wrong, but do you have something like a present or something for killing the god, like Uroboros at Lyutillis’s place?」

Hajime gave his thanks to the dragon for its special consideration toward his daughter while also speaking his guess about the ice dragon’s intention for why it was showing up expectedly at this timing during their second visit to this place.

Ururukuu created an atmosphere of fondness while turning its eyes toward Myuu.

Myuu kept nodding from reading the dragon’s intention. At the same time she interpreted what Ururukuu wanted to say and spoke it out from her mouth.

「……A kind and adorable little girl…………Priceless……」

「What did it say?」

Strange. It felt like they heard words that were unbecoming for an existence that was the will of the great dungeon.

「……A little girl with feeling of motherhood……in other words, a holy mother……」

「Myuu! Get away from that worthless dragon right now!」

Tio was going haa haa, but Hajime ignored her because he wasn’t referring to her just now.

「……Holy mother speaking like dirty girl……that is none other than! ──Overwhelming justice!! I want to rub her every day!」

「Okay got it, this damn lolicon! I’ll dismantle you to pieces-」

「Farewell……this generation’s holy mother. I shall wait for our reunion. Let me rub on you again later……」

「You won’t get awayyyy」

In the end, it got away. After all it was a dragon of ice. It could regenerate endlessly as long as there was water and ice, and it could return to the garden itself anytime. It burst into water and then assimilated with the garden.

「Myuu」

「Myu!?」

Hajime crouched down to meet Myuu’s eyes at the same height and grabbed her shoulders tightly. He then spoke with a very serious expression.

「You can never come here again. We won’t bring you here again, and even if you can come here along you must never do that. It’s a promise with papa. Do you understand?」

「Y-yes nano……」

It was a command that broke no argument. And it seemed everyone there also shared the sentiment unanimously.

「I wonder if Vandre-san……was that kind of person?」

The harmful suspicion was brought up by Sumire.

「……No, Okaa-sama. I think Oscar’s diary mentioned that the lolicon was none other than Naiz Guryuen.」

This too was an absurdly harmful rumor. More or less. Naiz was merely a type of person who got absurdly liked by little girl. More or less.

It was something that didn’t get passed down until the present day but, actually among the people who got protected by the liberators, there was a girl who often took care of Vandre’s familiars.

She was a girl who was too devoted in her caregiving and also radiated a feeling of motherhood despite her very young age. It was to the degree that the familiars became more attached to that girl than Vandre when they realized it.

Ururukuu was a type of golem that was modeled after a familiar that was alive at that time. It was also given a soul that was copied from the original so it could make its own judgment to some degree.

That must be why. It wanted to be spoiled by a kind little girl.

Of course, for Hajime and others who didn’t know anything about that, its behavior was extremely suspicious. Even their perception of its creator Vandre was changing.

Vandre-san surely never even dreamed that something like this would happen. Surely he was crying in his grave, no doubt about it.

Indescribable mood enveloped the area. Yue’s expression became troubled while she suggested.

「……For now, how about we take a break?」

They had finished the preparation after all. Everyone suddenly felt really tired from hearing that and they all nodded in agreement.